Amend SB 961 as follows:
(1) On page 1, line 18, add the following sentence to the
end of Section 54.066:
"Tuition charged at the rate provided by this section shall
be accounted for as if collected under Section 54.008."
(2) On page 1, lines 21 through 24, strike amended
Subsection (1) of Section 61.059 and substitute the following:
"(1)(1) Except as provided by Subdivision (2), the The
board may not include in any formula under this section funding
based on the number of doctoral students who have a total of 100
131 or more semester credit hours of doctoral work at an
institution of higher education.
(2) Notwithstanding Subdivision (1), the board may
approve formula funding for semester credit hours in excess of 100,
not to exceed 130 total semester credit hours, for a doctoral
student if the institution:
(A) provides the board with substantial evidence
that the particular field of study in which the student is enrolled
requires a higher number of semester credit hours to maintain
nationally-competitive standards;
(B) provides the board with evidence that the
student's program or research is likely to provide substantial
benefit to medical or scientific advancement and that the program
or research requires the additional semester credit hours; or
(C) provides the board with other compelling
academic reasons that support the finding of an exception.
(2) The board shall report to the Legislative Budget Board,
as part of its report on formula funding recommendations, a listing
of the exceptions approved under Subdivision (2) and the associated
costs in formula-based funding."
(3) On page 1, between lines 34 and 35, add a new subsection
(c) to read as follows:
"(c) Any savings resulting from implementation of Subsection
(1), Section 61.059, Education Code, shall not serve as a basis for
reducing the amount of the total general revenue available for
funding any formula on a basis other than that prohibited by
Subsection (1), Section 61.059, Education Code."